Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Consider the target market you want to serve and the hours you will be open. A coffee shop catering only to a business crowd that shuts its doors at the end of the work day needs a different location than a coffee shop that intends to draw a broader mix of patrons.
Step2
Contact a commercial real estate agent and visit available commercial spaces. Ask if parking is available on site or at a nearby facility. Find out if parking is included in the lease. Visit nearby parking facilities and discover the fees and availability of short term parking. Choose a location for your coffee shop that has access to inexpensive or free parking unless you are in a major metropolitan area where most of your patrons will be walking.
Step3
Set up shop in a mixed-use residential area if you intend to serve coffee well into the evening hours. Look for areas where homes and businesses are interspersed with other retail locations. Visit the area at different times of the day and night to assess foot traffic caused by businesses and residents. Choose an area that has good foot traffic during all of the hours you intend to operate your business.
Step4
Make sure you have a visible store front that encourages casual walk-in customers. Avoid hidden spaces even if they are cheap to lease. Patrons like to see a business well before they enter it.
Step5
Calculate the cost of leasing space with the available number of customers in the market and the number of customers you can reasonably expect to serve. Choose a location that provides you access to your customer base at a reasonable cost. The best location for a coffee shop is the location where your business will thrive.
